Davis Discoveries 13: Camping
by Colony
Summary: So Davis goes camping. There's also a side story about TK and Kari going on a trip to Silvania. Silvania is a cool place and I recommend going there some time. But you can't, because it doesn't exist.
1. Won

Davis Discovers Camping - Part 1  
  
How Daisuke Found Out About Spending Time Surrounded by Nature  
  
I own nothing here, not even Silvania.  
  
Yamato and Taichi were hanging out in the park in their neighborhood. Their Game Boy ADVANCES were linked up as they played Mario Kart: Super Circuit. After a few minutes of that, they got bored and stopped.  
  
"Let's go watch TV," said Taichi.  
  
"No, it's summer," said Yamato. "The only things on are reruns."  
  
"Summer shouldn't be this boring," Taichi said.  
  
"There are plenty of things to do during the summer. You know, summery stuff."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like. hmm." Yamato thought for a moment. ".CAMPING! We can go camping!"  
  
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Taichi agreed. "We'll go camping, this weekend."  
  
"All right!"  
  
The two high-fived each other. They discussed their plans as they walked back to the apartment buildings when they heard someone running up behind them. The two turned to find Daisuke, wearing headphones and holding a CD player. His eyes were shut and he was warbling some song that they guessed he was listening to.  
  
"You know I'd walk a thousaaaaooofff!" Daisuke ran right into them and fell backward. Taichi and Yamato also fell backward. The three of them lay on their backs moaning for a few minutes. Finally, Taichi got up and helped his friends to their feet.  
  
"What in the heck is wrong with you Daisuke?" Taichi asked.  
  
"Yeah," Yamato said. "Even you should know better than to run while singing with your eyes closed."  
  
"Sorry," Daisuke said. "So what have you guys been doing?"  
  
"We were trying to find something to do," said Yamato. He and Taichi started to walk back to the corner where they would split up and go home. Daisuke followed them.  
  
"Oh, did you find something," Daisuke asked.  
  
Yamato looked at Taichi, and shrugged. Taichi looked back at Yamato and shrugged as well. They stopped near a pay phone and Yamato leaned against it. He was about to say something but Taichi tapped his shoulder and held up five fingers. Yamato smiled and said, "Well, Tai and I thought we would go camping this weekend."  
  
"Ooooohhhh," Daisuke said. "Whuzat?"  
  
Yamato handed Taichi a five-dollar bill. "All right then, you explain Tai," he said.  
  
"Of course, It's the least I could do," Taichi said. He turned to Daisuke and leaned up against the pay phone alongside Yamato.  
  
"You see, Daisuke, camping is a very rewarding experience. It is the opportunity for one to escape his or her fast-paced life in the annals of civilization to a paradise of pure nature, and it is very simple to take on this adventure."  
  
"Actually," Yamato said. "Camping is a cheap, but enjoyable, vacation."  
  
"Cool," Daisuke said. "Hey, didn't we do that once?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I remember," Taichi said, and he started to laugh. "Do you remember, Matt?"  
  
"Yes, I remember Matt," Daisuke said. "But he doesn't like it when I call him Matt, just Yamato."  
  
Taichi ignored him. "Ha ha, do you remember when Daisuke's sister wanted to come along, and you told her you had a present and that she had to turn around? Ha ha ha ha ha ha. And then, and then, ha ha ha! And then, you were all, 'Dad, go! Drive, drive!' Ha ha ha ha, and we took off. Haaaaaaa haaaa haaa haa! That was funny."  
  
"Uh huh," Yamato said. Then his eyes lit up. "Hey! Let's take old Lung Popper with us," he said, pointing to Daisuke.  
  
"For real?" Taichi said, somewhat stunned.  
  
"Yeah! He's bound to make things interesting, and I think it'll be good for him. Huh?"  
  
"Well, I guess you're right," Taichi said. "All right then, this weekend, the three of us will go camping. Come by my house at noon on Saturday with all your things and we'll be on our way. Okay?"  
  
"Okay," Yamato said.  
  
"You mean I can really come?" Daisuke asked. The others nodded.  
  
"WOW! AMAZING! I HAVE TO CALL TAKERU!" Daisuke rushed to the phone and dialed Takeru's number.  
  
"Hello?" Takeru's voice that was turned into electricity and sent through wires to the pay phone came.  
  
"Hey DJ, it's me."  
  
"Yeah I was dreading that."  
  
"Ha, well, you know what camping is right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Cool, well Taichi and your brother are going to take me camping. That's cool right?"  
  
"Yeah that's nice of them, I think that- what? My brother is taking you camping? Why isn't he taking me camping? Is he there? Put him on, I want to tell him what I."  
  
Daisuke put his hand over the phone and said, "Hey Yamato, TA wants to talk to you."  
  
Yamato said, "Tell him I can't talk to him right now, tell him I went on a date with your sister." With that, he ran off.  
  
"Sucks for him," Taichi said. "See ya later."  
  
Daisuke put the phone up to his head again. "Uh, Takeru, I can't talk to him right now, I went on a date with your sister."  
  
"What!!!??? What in the heck is wrong with you? Where's, my brother?"  
  
"Oh, well he ran off just now, sorry."  
  
Takeru sighed. "Forget it Davis," he said. "I'll talk to him later. I'll have to hang up now, I need to make a phone call."  
  
"Oh, okay," Daisuke said. "Goodbye," and he hung up.  
  
On the other end of the line, Takeru hung up. "Lousy Matt. Since when did he start hanging out with Davis?"  
  
Takeru picked the phone back up and dialed Taichi's number. After two rings, the phone was answered by Hikari."  
  
"Hello?" She said.  
  
"Uh, hi Ka- uh Hikari. How are you?" He answered, a little bit embarrassed.  
  
"Oh I'm fine, TK," Hikari said cheerfully. "And you?"  
  
"Oh I'm great, Kari. So tell me, are you doing anything this weekend?"  
  
"No, nothing planned."  
  
"Well, I was just wondering if you'd go on a small trip with me."  
  
"Really?" Hikari asked, sounding very excited. "Where to?"  
  
"Umm, another country."  
  
"Another country? This weekend?" Hikari was completely shocked.  
  
"Yeah, well a micronation actually. It's called Silvania. It's an island off the coast of Florida."  
  
Hikari laughed. "And you have money for this little trip?"  
  
"No, I don't need it. You see, Silvania's ambassador to the United States happens to be a very good friend of mine. I can get him to let us in for free. No fees, no passports, I just have to ask and he'll take care of everything." Takeru felt very good telling Hikari that he had "connections". This is great! he thought. She'll think I'm the most resourceful person she knows!"  
  
"Takeru, I think you're the most resourceful person I know," Hikari said. "I'd love to go to Silvania with you."  
  
Score! "Well thank you so much, I know that you're going to have a great time. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye, TK," Hikari said, and she hung up.  
  
Takeru hung up his phone, jumped up and down cheering for himself, and then picked the phone up again. He dialed another number and waited. After three rings, the phone was answered.  
  
"Hello?" Came a young man's voice.  
  
"Hey, it's TK. Is that you, Colin?"  
  
"Yeah. What can I do for you?" Colin said, sounding happy.  
  
"Get me a plane to Silvania," Takeru said softly. "Make it for two, I'm bringing a woman."  
  
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Dear Diary,  
  
This weekend I am going to go camping with Taichi and Yamato. I don't know that much about camping, but I think it's going to be lots of fun. I know that I will need a sleeping bag and a tent or something of that genre. Do you think the other guys will bring the food or what? Maybe I should supply the food. I don't know, is it that important anyway?  
  
Anyway, I don't have a sleeping bag so I'll need to borrow my sister Jun's 'cause I think she's got one. I don't know, maybe. I ought to bring hiking- type shoes because I think camping involves hiking or some form of that type.  
  
Should I bring my dad's cell phone? If I get lost I'll need to call someone so I'll need a phone or some kind of that kind of thing. Oh yeah, bug repellent. Bug repellent is the coolest kind of repellent of all kinds of repelling stuff. I don't want misquitoes biting my skin and making it all itchy and stuff of that sort.  
  
I guess the best thing to do is call Tai or Matt and ask what I'll need. I think I'll do that, and then decide how mom will pack my stuff.  
  
Later, Davis M.  
  
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That Saturday, Daisuke had all his stuff ready to go and was on his way to Taichi's house for the camping trip. When he arrived at the door, He was about to knock when Takeru suddenly opened the door.  
  
"What the freak? What are you doing here?" Takeru asked, seeming a bit surprised.  
  
"Uh, don't you remember?" Daisuke said. "I'm going to go camping with Taichi and your brother."  
  
"Oh yeah, that's right," Takeru said, lightly hitting his palm on his forehead. "Well, I have to go."  
  
"Wait a minute," Daisuke said. "What are you here for?"  
  
"Oh, um. I." Takeru stammered out, blushing quite a bit. Takeru was hoping that Daisuke would be narrow-minded enough to not ask that question.  
  
But it didn't need an answer that very moment, because Hikari came up behind him.  
  
"I'm all set to go, and thank you again for bringing me along on your trip, TK," she said. Then she noticed Daisuke. "Oh, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Joining up with your brother and his brother for a camping trip," he said. "You two are going on a vacation also?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Takeru said slowly.  
  
"So she's going on a trip with you?"  
  
"Uh, yes."  
  
Daisuke looked as if he was about to cry. His eyes were watery, his mouth quivered, and he started to shake.  
  
"Well, we've got to go, Davis, see you when we get back." Takeru took hold of Hikari's hand and gently pulled her out the door. "Have fun on your trip," he said to Daisuke as he led Hikari out the building.  
  
"Wasn't that a little rude?" She asked as they left the building.  
  
"Did you want to be there when he started to cry?" Hikari shook her head to his question. "Besides, we would have provoked it even more if we stayed too long."  
  
"I guess you're right," she said. She felt a little ashamed, but she knew there wasn't any way she or Takeru could have known that Daisuke would show up just as they were leaving. Plus, it wasn't her fault that he had a big crush on her. Takeru must have seen the upset look on her face.  
  
"Come on, cheer up," he said. "Silvania is a great place for a weekend stay. And, Koushiro helped me out with this contraption he designed." Takeru pulled a small electronic device out of his pocket.  
  
"This thing plugs into a digivice," he said. "We can hook it up to a computer there so we can travel back and forth from home to Silvania via Digiport."  
  
"Oh, you mean we can use that to make one of the computers there capable of Digital World transport?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Uh-huh, it's supposed to install some sort of funky code onto the hard drive that can't be detected."  
  
"What does the ambassador guy have to say about it?"  
  
"Oh, he's okay with it, he knows the DigiDestined kid from Cuba."  
  
They arrived at the bus stop a few minutes later. During that time, Takeru told Hikari all about Silvania.  
  
"It's got a real nice beach, and their king, King Travis, he's a really funny guy," Takeru said as the got on the bus to the airfield.  
  
"I'm liking it already," Hikari told him smiling. "What about that ambassador guy?"  
  
"Colin? Well, he's kind of quiet, and very shy, but he's real nice. I hear that he writes humor stories and posts them on the Internet."  
  
"Interesting."  
  
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Daisuke, Taichi, and Yamato were just about ready to leave for their trip. The two older boys noticed that Daisuke was upset.  
  
"You got a problem on your mind, Daisuke?" Yamato asked.  
  
"Oh, it's just that Hikari doesn't like me," Daisuke said in a very sad voice.  
  
"No way," Taichi said. "Believe me man, she likes you a lot. Just, not as much as she likes TK." Taichi didn't want to say it, but he knew he had to.  
  
"I guess you're right," Daisuke said. "She likes him, and I'm okay with it, and I still like the both of them."  
  
Taichi looked at Yamato and shrugged. Yamato shrugged back. "Well in that case," Yamato said. "Let's get on our way." Yamato grabbed his backpack and opened the front door, and then he yelled, "HOLY FREAKING CRAP!"  
  
"Hey, Honey-Love!" Jun said jumping into Yamato's arms.  
  
Daisuke was shocked. Taichi, started to tear up, then he started to laugh very loudly.  
  
"Wow, amazing," he said laughing, and then added, half laughing and half talking, "I have to call Takeru." Taichi rushed to the phone and dialed Takeru's number.  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Oh yeah, he's not home," Taichi said. "He went on that trip or whatever."  
  
"Where did they go, anyway?" Daisuke asked now that Taichi had brought it up.  
  
"Uhhhhhhhhh, some place called Silvania," Taichi answered.  
  
"All by themselves?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Unshaparoned?" Daisuke sounded a little bit surprised.  
  
"Yeah I guess, who cares?" Taichi turned to Jun. "Comin' with us, Jun?" Yamato shot Taichi a dirty look.  
  
"Well of course," Jun said. "Got to keep an eye on my bro' and my man." Jun wrapped her arm around Yamato when she said "man."  
  
"Help me," Yamato said tautly.  
  
Taichi held his hand over his mouth to hide his laughing.  
  
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Takeru and Hikari got off the private jet that took them to Silvania.  
  
"Wow, jeez, it's hot!" Hikari said. "I'm glad I brought a bathing suit."  
  
"Me too," said Takeru.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I meant me, I'm glad that I also brought a bathing suit."  
  
"Oh."  
  
The two of them stood there in silence for a few moments.  
  
"Do your parents know you brought me here?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Uhhhhhhhh. I kind of told them I was camping with Matt." "Oooooooooo, you're a bad kid. Of course I told my parents I was."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Camping with Tai."  
  
The two of them laughed nervously. Then they laughed a little more confidently. After a while, they stopped laughing.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Hikari asked.  
  
"We go to the Makeshift Palace where the King will let us stay in one of the suites."  
  
"One of the suites?"  
  
"You should see it, it's not your normal suite."  
  
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"Looks like you won't get out of this one," Taichi said as Jun and Daisuke got into the back seat of Taichi's car. "She's already in the car."  
  
Daisuke was suddenly shoved out of the car by his sister. "You sit up front Davis, and let Yamato sit in the back with me."  
  
"Yeah, join me up front Davis," Taichi said.  
  
"Why thank you, Taichi," Daisuke said back.  
  
"Call me Tai." Taichi opened the passenger side door for Daisuke, and Daisuke climbed in. As Taichi walked around the front of the car, Yamato mouthed the words, "I'm going to kill you," at him. Taichi mouthed the words, "My sister will take revenge on you if you do," back at him. Then Yamato mouthed, "Then I'll just kill her." Taichi mouthed, "Then your brother will kill you." Yamato mouthed, "Not if I say Daisuke did it." Taichi mouthed, "TK wouldn't believe you."  
  
"What in the heck are you two doing?" Jun asked, staring at them funny. "It's like your reading each other's lips or something."  
  
"What's wrong with that?" said Taichi. "It's cool. Well what are you waiting for, Matt? Get in the back with Jun." Taichi opened the driver side door and climbed in. Yamato got in the back seat with Jun, looking rather disappointed.  
  
"Oh, we're just going to have a great time," said Jun. "Won't we, deary?"  
  
"Maybe, by some odd turn of events," Yamato said.  
  
"So Tai," Daisuke said, starting a conversation in the front of the car. "What are some things you do when you're camping?"  
  
"Well," Taichi said. "You can go hiking, and look at wildlife. Or, you can hang out near a river or lake and look at fish or go swimming. And then at night, you build a fire, and you roast marshmellows and then you consume them, and then after that, you engage in a sing-along."  
  
"Funky," said Daisuke. "I can't wait."  
  
"I'm sure you'll have a great time, won't he Yamato?" Taichi asked to Yamato in the back seat.  
  
"She's trying to kiss me!" Yamato complained. "Aaaaahhhhh."  
  
"Hang in there," Taichi said.  
  
"Do something!" Yamato pleaded.  
  
Daisuke turned around in his seat. "Hey, Jun," he said. "Happy Birlicket."  
  
"Ah!" Jun screamed, and she proceeded to pull an umbrella out of her bag and opened it.  
  
"Stay," Yamato said, and he feinted a flick to her nose.  
  
After another hour of driving, they arrived at the campsite. The four of them got their things out of the trunk and hiked to their camp area.  
  
"Okay," Taichi said, looking at a map of the campground. "We are going to camp at the 'Bruin Site.' It's this way." Taichi started down a path to their site and the others followed him. They kept walking until they came to an area with a wooden sign that said "Bruin Site." They set their things down in a spot clear of sticks and half-grown plants. The site was made up of a muddy ground with a few scattered trees, sticks, dead leaves, and a couple of dead squirrels. A few other tents were set up.  
  
"Is that a bird skeleton over there?" Jun asked, pointing to a bird skeleton over there. "That's disgusting."  
  
"I bet you someone's cat did it," Taichi said. "It probably killed those squirrels over there, too."  
  
"Oh no," Daisuke said. "There's a feline serial killer on the loose!"  
  
"Oh don't worry little brother," Jun said. "We've got Yamato here to protect us. He's just so brave and strong."  
  
"There are other brave, strong people here too," Taichi said.  
  
"What was that?" Jun was too busy eyeing Yamato to hear Taichi.  
  
Taichi started to set up the tent, grumbling about something, but no one heard him.  
  
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Takeru and Hikari were greeted by Ambassador Colin just outside of the Makeshift Palace. The palace was not quite as large as Hikari would expect most palaces to be, but it was just a micronation.  
  
"Hey Colin," Takeru said to the ambassador. "Where's King Travis?'  
  
Colin was a tall, brown-eyed young man with dark, curly hair. He wore white sneakers, dark blue jeans held up by a khaki belt, and a brick-red T-shirt with three white and two blue stripes going across the chest. He didn't seem much like an ambassador to Hikari. In fact, he seemed like he might have been a teenager.  
  
"King Travis apologizes for not being here to meet you in person right now," Colin said. "He is currently at a press conference across the island, giving a speech on how this micronation is against the war with Iraq."  
  
"We understand. Let me introduce you to this lovely young woman here." Hikari walked over next to Takeru. He continued. "This is Hikari Kamiya, my very good friend." Hikari offered her hand. Colin grabbed it gently and kissed it.  
  
"Very pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm sure the two of you will enjoy your weekend here."  
  
"May I ask you something?" Hikari said.  
  
"Of course," Colin replied.  
  
"What the hell is this micronation junk?"  
  
Colin choked out a fake laugh. "Ha ha. Obviously you are not taking any of this seriously."  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, then, let me show you something."  
  
The three of them walked into the Makeshift Palace, or whatever it was, Hikari thought. As they walked through the front door, Colin began to speak.  
  
"Okay, you were right about this whole micronation thing, it's a bunch of BS. This island is privately owned by Travis's rich grandpa, the 'palace' is his luxury home. The plane we took to get here belongs to Travis's rich aunt."  
  
"So these nations of Kato, or whatever, they are all fake?" Hikari asked.  
  
"Well, there are such things as micronations," Colin said, as the three of them walked up a set of stairs. "They're usually privately owned islands or offshore rigs, where the person who owns it has the jurisdiction to claim him or herself king or queen, emperor or empress, or whatever."  
  
"But this island is privately owned," Takeru said.  
  
"Yes, but it's in US waters, and claimed by the US. Mr. Dunn simply owns the title deed to it."  
  
"And those organizations?"  
  
"Well, some genuine micronations probably keep in touch with each other, but in all likely hood, those organizations you see on the Internet are all fake: made up by teen-aged geeks like Travis."  
  
"Ha ha ha ha," Hikari couldn't help but laugh. The idea of taking the time to make a website about a fake country seemed so strange. "So how exactly did Silvania start?" she asked.  
  
"That's an interesting story," Colin said as they arrived at a door. "This is your guest suite."  
  
He opened the door and led them into the room, or rather, apartment. Hikari noticed right away that the guest suite was made up of at least four rooms: one living room with a kitchenette in one corner, two bedrooms, and what appeared to be a gameroom.  
  
"You'll share a bathroom, the two bedrooms are connected to it."  
  
"Cool place," Takeru said. He noticed Colin walking over to a computer set on a desk in the gameroom. "What are you doing?" He asked.  
  
Colin replied, "Showing you how Silvania got started."  
  
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"And that's why the movie Dogma is a masterpiece," Jun said to Yamato. As Taichi was setting up the tent, Jun and Yamato had started to talk. Rather, Jun started to talk, Yamato sat there listening and feeling miserable. "Right?"  
  
"Whatever you say," Yamato agreed, though he never said that the movie Dogma wasn't a masterpiece. "I think that Tai is done with the tent. Right Tai?"  
  
"No!" Taichi said. "I'm not, because I'm doing this myself, with no help."  
  
"Let my brother help you," Jun said.  
  
"I don't know where he is."  
  
"Yeah, where is he?" Yamato asked. "I haven't seen him since he said he was going to the bathroom."  
  
"Look, there he is," Jun said, pointing down the path that led to the ranger center. Daisuke was walking back to their camp.  
  
"Where've you been?" Yamato asked.  
  
"I was looking for the bathroom, but I can't find it," Daisuke said.  
  
"Huh," Taichi said. He saw a park official walking by the campsite. "Hey, sir!" He called out. "Can you show our friend the bathroom?"  
  
"Oh, uh," the official said. "The latrines are over there."  
  
"WHAAAAAATT!?!?!?" Jun screamed an inquiry. "The what are over there?"  
  
"I think he said latrines are over there," Daisuke told her. "Latrines are like, holes in the ground or something right? Like an outdoor bathroom, or something of that sort?"  
  
"Yep," Yamato said bluntly.  
  
"Do you people not care about our health?" Jun spat at the official. "We could get all kinds of gross germs from those things."  
  
"It heightens the outdoor experience," the official argued.  
  
"It doesn't need to be that high," Jun said back.  
  
"Hm," the official said. "Sorry," and he walked away.  
  
"I can't live like this!" Jun screamed. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" 


	2. Too

Davis Discovers Camping - Part 2  
  
"Okay, there we go," Colin said sitting at the computer in the suite's game room. He had logged on to the Internet, and brought up a web site that said "Silvania" at the top.  
  
"What's this?" Hikari asked.  
  
"About a year or so ago, Travis Dunn read on an Internet news service web site," Colin explained. "About some person who bought an offshore oil rig or something somewhere in the North Sea, and since it was in waters not claimed by any nation, he had the right to proclaim himself King of the Oil Rig, and officially make laws and set taxes for people that lived on it. Of course, no one lived on it, except for the guy and his wife.  
  
"Anyway, Travis thought it was cool that this person had his own 'micronation,' so he decided to invent his own micronation and make a web site for it.  
  
"For a couple of months, he started to make up a government, a language, an alphabet that he spent way too much time on than he needed to, which is ironic because the web site doesn't have the alphabet on it, and some other things."  
  
"Neat," said Hikari. She turned to Takeru. "You were in on fooling me?" she asked.  
  
"We were going to tell you at dinner tonight," Takeru said. "Unless you figured it out before then of course. Which you probably were going to."  
  
"I've talked myself out for today, so I'll go get the 'king'," Colin said. "He isn't actually at a press conference, he's in his room working on a thing he's going to put on the site about how Silvania is against the war in Iraq." And he left the room.  
  
"Ha ha," Hikari giggled.  
  
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Colin walked into Travis's room.  
  
"She found out," he said. "I told her everything."  
  
"I thought you were good at being quiet," Travis said.  
  
"She's too smart to keep secrets from."  
  
"Oh well. They in the suite?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Okay then, I'm on my way up."  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/  
  
"Dang you, mosquitoes!" Jun yelled when another mosquito had bit her on the arm. "I hate this. Why did I want to come with you guys?"  
  
"Yamato was here," Taichi reminded her.  
  
It was dark out, and Taichi was trying to get a fire started, but he was having trouble.  
  
"Maybe I need more lighter fluid," he said, reaching into his pack to get some more lighter fluid.  
  
Jun was having a lousy time. After holding it in for an hour or two, she finally decided to use the latrines, and she hated it. The smell was terrible, the sight was terrible, and afterward, she stepped in something she hoped was mud. While walking back to the Bruin Site, she fell and scraped her knee, and she had to put a large, uncomfortable bandage on it.  
  
"I think ( of the bottle is enough," Taichi said as he lit a lighter to light the logs on fire. The flames shot up a few feet from the wood, making Daisuke jump.  
  
"Holy freaking crap!" he exclaimed. He thought he felt something on the left side of his head. He touched it with his hand. "Is my hair still there? Oh no, I think some of it burned off!"  
  
"Relax, you're fine," Yamato. "What the heck's the matter with you, Tai?"  
  
"I just want to go home," Jun said. "Will you cuddle with me, Yamato?"  
  
"Not tonight," Yamato said.  
  
As that went on, Daisuke pulled out a plastic bag and opened it.  
  
"What are you doing?" Yamato asked him.  
  
Daisuke pulled a small white object out of the bag. "I am preparing to toast a marshmallow," he said.  
  
"Well I'll be danged," Yamato said. "A marshmallow. Where'd you learn to do that?'  
  
"On the drive here, I consulted with Taichi on the common rituals of, 'camping out.'"  
  
"Really? So tell me Davis, what do we do after we toast the marsh-uh- marshmallow?"  
  
"We consume them." Daisuke's answer was matter-of-fact.  
  
"I know we consume them. I mean after that."  
  
"Oh." Daisuke thought for a moment. "I believe we are required to engage in a ritual known as. a 'sing along.'"  
  
"That's great," Taichi said. "I haven't sung around a campfire since the last time sang around a campfire. What should we sing?"  
  
"Let's get the heck out of here," Jun said.  
  
"What about, 'Camptown Races'?" Yamato suggested.  
  
"'Pack up Your Truffles,'" Taichi suggested.  
  
"Are we leaving, Tai?" Daisuke asked.  
  
"It's a song title, Davis," Yamato exclaimed.  
  
Then, Taichi thought of one. "What about, 'Row, Row Your. Row Your Boat.' I love 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat.'" He turned to Daisuke. "Do you know 'Row, Row, Row, Row, Row Your Boat?'"  
  
"That song did not come up in our discussion, Tai."  
  
"The lyrics are very simple," Taichi said. "They're, 'Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily- merrily, life is but a dream. Matt, why don't you start? Matt will start, then I'll jump in, then you. Matt, if you please?"  
  
"Okay, I am the singer after all," He took a swig from his water bottle, and started to sing:  
  
[Yamato] Row, row, row your boat gently down the streeeaaaamm.  
  
[Taichi] Row, row, row your boat gently down the streeeaaaamm. | | [Yamato] Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dreeeaaaamm.  
  
[Both together] Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life.  
  
"Daisuke, why didn't you jump in?" Taichi asked.  
  
Daisuke stared at him. "I was trying to comprehend the meaning of the words," he answered.  
  
"It's a song, you dim-witted-Davis!" Yamato said. "The words aren't important, what's important is that you have a good time singing!"  
  
"Oh, I am sorry Yamato," Daisuke said calmly. "Were we having a good time?"  
  
"Gosh!" Yamato exclaimed. "I liked him better before he discovered 'C'!"  
  
"Shut up!" Jun yelled. She had tears in her eyes. "What's the matter with you? Have you no compassion for others? I'm here being miserable and the three of you are completely ignoring me, having your sing along after you roast your marshmallows, and you haven't even roasted marshmallows yet!"  
  
The boys looked ashamed.  
  
Jun continued. "Why don't you help me have a good time? I want to enjoy myself with the three of you, but you don't seem to want to enjoy yourselves with me." A sob escaped her throat.  
  
The three boys looked at each other. Then, they each got a marshmallow, roasted it, and made a super three marshmallow s'more. Then, Yamato gave it to Jun.  
  
"Here, enjoy yourself," he said. Jun said nothing as she took it from, and then she slowly bit into it.  
  
After chewing for a few moments, she swallowed. "Good," she said. "Very good. Thank you, guys."  
  
"You're welcome," they said.  
  
"Umm." Taichi started to say. "I brought a book. Why don't we all go into the tent, and I'll read it to you? Sound good?"  
  
"Yes," Jun said. Yamato and Daisuke nodded.  
  
"All right," Taichi said. "Let's go."  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/  
  
"And that's why the language isn't on the site yet," Travis said to Hikari as he showed her the Silvania web site. "Stupid Yahoo! Pagemaker."  
  
"Well Mr. Dunn," Hikari said. "I'm very impressed. It's a somewhat entertaining site; it just needs some more content. Perhaps you should add a page about that Chelonian Cavalry you were talking about."  
  
"I'll try it, thanks," Travis said. "Now that all that is explained, it's time for you two to enjoy yourselves."  
  
* * *  
  
The rest of that day, Takeru and Hikari enjoyed tennis, sunbathing, a movie, bike riding, and stuff of that sort. Micronation or not, Hikari had a great time with Takeru, and the two ended the day on the beach, watching the sunset. A warm, orange glow added to the feeling of calm and closeness.  
  
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/  
  
The four of them laughed out loud in Taichi's tent. Taichi continued reading from the book he brought.  
  
"'It's not easy being Danish. Watery meats, unfunny clowns, the whole Hamlet mess. Thank goodness for Carlsberg. And Tuborg. And Old Gambrinus Dark. You Danes are great! You are my people. I love you guys, man.'" Taichi read out of a book called Mind over Matters. "Oh, this next one's funnier! It's called 'Friend Good,' about being a tall, quiet guy."  
  
After reading a few more essays out of the book, they all decided to go to sleep.  
  
"Good night, Matt," said Taichi.  
  
"Good night, Tai," said Yamato.  
  
"Good night, Jun," said Taichi.  
  
"Good night, Yamato," said Daisuke.  
  
"Good night, Taichi," said Jun.  
  
"Good night, Daisuke," said Yamato.  
  
"Good night, Tai," said Daisuke  
  
"Good night, Davis," said Taichi.  
  
"Good night, Jun," said Daisuke.  
  
"Good night, Daisuke," said Jun.  
  
"Good night, Jun," said Yamato.  
  
"Good night, Matt," said Jun.  
  
"Good night, Moon," said Daisuke.  
  
"Say what?" said Jun.  
  
There was silence as they all started to fall asleep. Then Daisuke stirred.  
  
"Tai," he said.  
  
"Yes Davis?" Taichi asked.  
  
"Life is not a dream."  
  
"Go to sleep Davis."  
  
  
  
  
  
Mind over Matters © 2002 by Michael J. Nelson published by Harper-Collins  
  
Silvania created by Travis Dunn: 2001. www.geocities.com/king_travis_i  
  
Campfire scene from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989). 


End file.
